Sixth Form Experience Key to Success in the Information Age

The name McCrory is rightly still regarded with respect and affection in Armoy. The late Rev Walter McCrory was rector of the local Church of Ireland parish and his children Aubrey Louise and Owen were all pupils at Ballycastle High School. We were delighted when Aubrey recently made contact with the school.

In June 2008 Aubrey took up the post of Assistant Information Commissioner, with responsibility for leading the Information Commissioner’s Office in Northern Ireland. Aubrey, who was a pupil at the Ballycastle High School from 1987 to 1989, credits the school with putting him on the route that has taken him to his current position. Below he sets out the stages which led to this.

“After 6th form my academic journey took me to Staffordshire University where I graduated with BA Hons (2:1) in International Relations, Politics and Public Administration. There I also indulged my love of road running as I had done for many years on the roads around Armoy. During the summer holidays I worked in and travelled across North America and Inter-Railed around Europe while developing a deep interest in European affairs. After graduating in 1992 I enrolled for a full time M Phil in Conflict Studies from Trinity College, Dublin.

With student loans to pay off I began a career in research and policy evaluation, working for Price Waterhouse and Deloitte & Touche. I found the work very short term focused and unfulfilling, so in 1995 I joined Belfast City Council to work in the Chief Executive’s Department undertaking research and policy development work, before moving to Larne Borough Council in 1998 to become its first Best Value Manager. This was a challenging role, on the one hand ensuring the Council created improvements in its services, while on the other giving more focus to wider needs of the area. As I didn’t get a great result at O level Maths, and with evidence and figures key to my career, I began a part time MSc in Research Methods at University of Ulster. I was amazed that I had to go back to college less than four years after graduating but it helped me become a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. Although I always enjoyed Maths as a subject the post graduate course was very hard going. 

In March 2001, just a month after the death of my father Rev Walter McCrory who was a former governor of the High School. I took up a Deputy Director post in the Equality Commission. There I had key responsibilities for the implementation of what were at that time ground breaking statutory duties for the promotion of equality and good relations across the public sector in Northern Ireland. 

During my time at the Equality Commission I was seconded as Head of Service at the Northern Ireland Local Government Association. My role included working with Councillors from across the political spectrum on plans to modernise the sector. This included coordinating the E Government working group to address the challenges of the Information Age.  The challenge was immense and required the bringing together of twenty six different approaches to produce the first local government wide policy on developing better use of information technology. The work also included securing central government funding to make it happen! It brought back memories of John Andrews trying to coax my 6th Form English Literature class into reading not one but two of Chaucer’s stories!”

In June this year I landed a very enjoyable job with the Information Commissioners Office. I now have overall responsibility for promoting access to official information and protecting personal information in Northern Ireland. The role includes working with organisations across the public, private and community sectors on freedom of information such as arranging for public bodies to release information such as notes of meetings, and investigating the loss of data included in files or memory sticks. I have to very quickly gather and assimilate lots of different and sometimes technical knowledge to be able to give advice, make enforceable decisions and if needs be take action through the courts.